Window for fabric walls



J. H. FLETCHER. WINDOW FOR FABRIC WALLS. APPHCATION FILED IAN-4,1918.

Patented I) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFMJE.

JOSEPH H. FLETCHER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB T0 PERFECTION AUTO WINDOW COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF ARIZONA.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. FLETCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Window for Fabric Walls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to windows of a type suitable for installationin automobiles, tents and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a window which is easy to install, in fact one so easily installed that the owner of the tent or automobile can install it himself since very little mechanical knowledge and no special tools, are required.

Another object is to provide a construction which is absolutely water-tight.

Another object is to aid in supporting the window by suitable ribs so as to avoid sagging of the fabric wall.

. Other objects and advantages will appear in the subjoined detail description.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: i

, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention, only portions of the fabric wall being shown. i

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan section on line indicated by w -w Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations respectively of the two frame members, looking at the opposing faces thereof.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional detail on line indicated by af-w, Fig. 1.

The fabric walls 1 may be constructed of any suitable material such as employed in the manufacture of automobiletops, tents and other flexible walled structures. There are provided frame members 2, 3 of any desired shape adapted to be placed on opposite sides of the wall 1 so as to embrace the wall therebetween, said members being in this instance in the form of rings and the member 2 being provided with a flange or tongue 4 which seats in a groove5 in the frame member 3. With the exception of the tongue 4t and groove 5 the opposing faces of the frame members 2, 3 are flat inside and outside of the tongue and groove as at a and b so that when they are clamped on opposite sides of the fabric by means of screws 6 the fabric wall will extend from the outer to the inner edge of the frame member and pt will lie flat against the flat portion 01 the Specification of Letters Patent.

wmnow FOR FABRIC WALLS.

Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

' Application filed January 4, 1918. Serial No. 210,2?2.

inner face of the frame member 2, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Portions of the fabric wallwill be crimped into the groove 5 by the action of the tongue i, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The screws 6 are inserted through holes 7 in the frame member 3 and a transparent pane 1.0. The pane 10 may be formed of beveled plate glass, but it is understoodthat it may be constructed of any suitable transparent or semi-transparent material suitable for transmitting light. By referring to Figs. 2 and 5, it is seen that the marginal portion of one face of the pane 10 seats directly against the portion of the fabric wall 1 adjacent the recess 9 so that the portion of the fabric wall engaging the pane functions as a gasket. Thus it is clear the fabric wall 1 packs the joint between the frame members 2, 3 and also packs the joint betweenthe frame member 3 and pane 10 so as to insure against the passage of mois ture through the window. .The tongue l and groove 5 constitute iliteriitting means that, though shown in the drawin as being continuous. need not necessarily be so, since the advantage last above mentioned will result even though the interiitting means take the form of spaced projections and recesses therefor.

If the pane 10 be made of glass, especially of heavy plate glass, there is a tendency for the upper portion of the fabric wall to sag under the weight of the glass and frame members, and to prevent this the following construction is provided: Ribs 11 in any desired number are provided, the ends of said ribs adjacent the frame members being accommodated in channels 12 extending transversely of the inner face of the frame member 3. These ribs 11 maybe formed of box plaits made of the fabric itself, or may be formed of metal strips or, as in the instance shown in the drawings, may be formed by combining the box plaits and strips, said strips being inserted in the box plaits. When the metal strips are employed they add stiffness to the fabric wall and they so support the'frames and pane as to take the strain off of the fabric wall.

In practice, to install the invention, the frame members 2, 3 will be placed on opposite sides of' the fabric wall 1 prior to cutting the window opening therein with the pane 10 seated in the frame member 2 and the screws 6 will be inserted in the holes 7 and through perforations previously made in the fabric and will be turned up tight in the holes 8 0 firmly clamp the fabric between the at opposing faces and tongue and groove ofthe members 2, 3 and between the marginal portion of the pane 10 and the flatface of the member 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. When this is done th fabric 1 will have a portion 13 extending along one face of the pane 10 within the space defined by the inner edge of the frame member 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Then the persen retelling the device will cut out the p01't10nl3 wlth a sharp hate, the inner edge of the frame member 3 functioning to accurately guide the knife blade so that the fabric will becut clean to the inner edge of the frame member to form a window opening 14 in the fabric as in Figs. 1 and 5.

I claim:

1.. A window comprising two rigid frame members adapted to be placed on opposite sides of a fabric wall, said frame members having relatively wide opposing fiat face portions and having a tongue and a groove respectively interfitting one another, one of said frame members having an annular recess in its inner margin adjaeent the flat face of the other frame member, a pane having its marginal portion seated in the recess, and means to hold the frame members toward one another to simultaneously clamp'said marginal portion of the pane and the fabric wall therebetween.

2. The combination with a fabric wall having an opening therein, offrame members on opposite sides of the fabric wall, said frame members having relatively wide opposing flat portions and having an annular groove respectively interfitting one another and one of said frame members having an annular recess adjacent the flat face of the other frame member, a pane having its marginal portion seated in the recess, the

fabric wall extending between one side of the pane and the flat face of the last named frame member and between the tongue and groove, and means to hold the frame members toward one another to simultaneously clamp the marginal portion of the pane and the fabric wall therebetween.

3. The combination with a flexible fabric having an opening therein, of a window for said opening comprising a frame secured to the margin of the fabric surrounding said opening, a glass for said frame, and means to support said window independently of said fabric.

a. In a vehicle top, the combination with flexible cover means therefor having an opening therein, of a glass in said opening, and means to support the glass independently of the flexible cover means.

5. The combination with a fabric wall having an opening therein, of frame members on opposite sides of the fabric wall, said frame members having relatively wide opposing flat clamping portions provided with intertittiir r curtain gripping means ttllll one or sari, ih'aiiie inemheri; hm iii r ii re eess inherent the flat fare of the other frame member, a pane having its marginal portion seated in the recess, a fabric wall extending between the interfitting means, and means to hold the frame members toward one another to simultaneously clamp the marginal. portion of the pane and the fabric wall therebetween.

6. The combination with a fabric wall having an opening therein, of frame members on opposite sides of the fabric wall, said frame members having relative wide opposing flat clamping portions provided with interfitting tongue and groove curtain gripping means and one of said frame members having a continuous recess adjacent the flat face of the other frame member, a. pane having its marginal. portion seated in. the recess, the fabric wall extending between the tongue and groove, and means to hold the frame members toward one another to simultaneously clamp the marginal portion of the pane and the fabric wall therebetween.

Signed at Los Angeles, 20 day of December, 1917.

JOSEPH H. FLETCHER- l i itnesses CHARLES A. BANK, Gnonen H. Hines.

California, this 

